


Two Iced Vanilla Lattes, Please

by BelleMarquise



Category: Start-Up (Korea TV)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Missing Scene, Mostly Canon Compliant, POV Alternating, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-20 18:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30008808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelleMarquise/pseuds/BelleMarquise
Summary: “Chul-San-nim… I wanted… I wanted to apologize.” His eyebrows rose. Is that why she had offered him a lift? “I’ve been thinking about what you said and… I’m sorry.”My take on what was going through Lee Chul-San and Jung Sa-Ha’s minds as their relationship developed, along with a couple of extra scenes I wish we could have seen.
Relationships: Jung Sa Ha/Lee Chul San
Kudos: 1





	1. Let's Set Some Boundaries First

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Who knows if he never showed up (what could have been)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27990141) by [stripedberries](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stripedberries/pseuds/stripedberries). 



> So I’m new to the whole K-Drama universe. I watched Crash Landing on You and got hooked. Then I saw Kim Ju-Meok’s actor was also playing in Start-Up so I watched that too. That’s when I fell in love with precious Yoo Su-Bin and his character Lee Chul-San. But I went online and was very disappointed to find out there was very little fanfiction about him and his girl Jung Sa-Ha. Not finding what I was looking for, I decided I’d try and write it myself! 
> 
> This is my first fanfic. I stayed very close to the story. (Maybe too much?) I just tried to retrace each step of their relationship, alternating between Lee Chul-San and Jung Sa-Ha’s point of view and adding a few extra scenes I wish we could have seen. I don’t speak Korean and English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance for any mistake or clumsiness!
> 
> P.S. I want to say I have major respect for Start-Up’s writer and also, I was inspired by stripedberries’ Who knows if he never showed up (what could have been).

**Lee Chul-San’s point of view**

“How many bookstores have we visited?” complained Chul-San, as they walked in another one without energy.

Do-San noticed a girl standing in line at the checkout, holding the book they were looking for. “Oh, they have them here. Ask her.” He nudged Chul-San in her direction.

“Excuse me,” said Chul-San nervously. “Could you tell me where you found that book?”

“In the Start-Up section,” she pointed.

The guys bowed. “ _Gamsahamnida._ ”

“It’s over there,” whispered Chul-San, while the girl was observing them.

She stepped in front of them, blocking their way. “Too bad. This was the last one.”

“Really? Gosh, we’ve been going around all the bookstores in the neighborhood.”

“How many?” she asked.

“This is the sixth,” Chul-San replied blinking sadly.

“How about this? Give me 10,000 won, and the book is yours, darlings,” she offered with a bright smile.

“What?” The three guys started looking for their wallets.

As soon as they got the book, Do-San started reading it while the others were following him around the alleys.

“Guys, what do you think it means when a girl calls you darling?” asked Chul-San.

“What are you talking about?” said Yong-San.

“I mean the girl from earlier. She gave up the book for us and called us darlings when we just met.” Chul-San hit is friend on the shoulder. He was beaming. “Do you think she was hitting on us?”

Yong-San finally caught up. “Was she hitting on us?”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe this!”

“Was she hitting on us, Do-San?”

Days later, they were setting up at Sand Box, talking about the twin developers, when their new CEO Dal-Mi left the room without a warning. When she came back about ten minutes later, a big ray of light illuminated the entire place, or so it felt like this for Chul-San, because walking next to her, like in slow-motion, hair in the wind, was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, the same girl from the bookstore.

She came to their table and he stood up, mouth half opened, completely in awe.

“ _Annyonghaseyo_ ,” he stuttered with a shy smile.

She eyed him up and down. “What the…”

“Yes, ha-have a seat over here,” he said pulling the chair next to him. “I’ll take that.”

He took her suitcase as she sat with a very unimpressed look on her face. Dal-Mi joined her and made the introductions:

“All right. Meet the developers of Samsan Tech. Nam Do-San _-ssi_ , Lee Chul-San _-ssi_ and Kim Yong-San _-ssi_. This is designer Jung Sa-Ha _-ssi_.”

“Ah, I see, you’re a designer,” said Chul-San, glowing. “We’ve met before, haven’t we?” He extended his hand. She looked at it but did nothing.

“Right, we have,” she confirmed.

Not giving up, Chul-San showed her his thumb and index in the shape of a heart.

“Really? Where did you guys meet?” asked Dal-Mi.

“Oh, we were buying a book,” began Do-San. “That book… What was it called?”

“ _Joining Sand Box Q and A_ ,” recalled Yong-San.

“Yes, there was only one left…”

“She kindly yielded it for 10,000 won and we bought the last copy,” concluded Chul-San.

“What? 10,000 won?” said Dal-Mi, surprised.

“It was a sensible transaction that satisfied both of our needs,” explained Sa-Ha.

Dal-Mi sighed, but Chul-San didn’t notice. He was too excited to be so close to her. “They say even brushing shoulders means you were meant to cross paths,” he said, gently tugging at Sa-Ha’s jacket. “What a coincidence! Who knew we’d all be founding members?”

“Stop!” she exclaimed. “Let’s set some boundaries first.” Chul-San’s smile quickly faded. “Lame expressions such as “meant to be” and “coincidence” are banned as of now. It’s not like I wanted to join this team. I chose you guys because I was pressed for time. Samsan Tech… What a horrible name. This isn’t my final destination. I’m just making a quick stop, that’s all. Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t,” assured Dal-Mi with a forced smile. “All right. Shall we get started, then?”

Once everybody was ready to work, they finally got started.

“All right. What kind of data set can our Tarzan learn?” wondered Dal-Mi. They were all focused on their computer screens.

“There’s all kinds of data here,” acknowledge Yong-San. “Traffic accidents, fine dust levels… even penmanship.”

“Penmanship?” repeated Do-San. “It’s a data set on handwriting.”

“Jeonghan Bank? Why would a bank have data on handwriting?” asked Chul-San.

“Of course, they would,” explained Sa-Ha. “All the deposit, withdrawal, loan, and power of attorney forms are filled out by hand. Same goes for handwriting forgery.”

“Sa-Ha _-nim_ , you suddenly seem totally unapproachable,” noted Chul-San, impressed by her knowledge.

“What?”

Beautiful and smart, clearly that girl had everything for her. “You’re too perfect,” he said solemnly. And then he chuckled nervously, proud of his compliment. Do-San raised his thumb to encourage him, but Sa-Ha wasn’t so receptive. She grabbed the poster that indicated their team’s name and planted it between them.


	2. Like Kimchi That Has Turned Sour!

**Jung Sa-Ha’s point of view**

“What is this?” asked Do-San, looking at the little white ball on top of his finger. All the team was seated around the table in the same position, waiting for Do-San’s cousin to explain.

“This is a prototype made by Wepulse, a team from the tenth residency,” he began. “It’s called ET, an Emotion Transistor. It’s a device that expresses your emotions. I’ll show you.” He took a small instruction manual and read: “It works like a pulse oximeter. Blue means you’re excited. When you’re lying, you’ll see red. If you’re indifferent, the light will turn off.”

Do-San seemed skeptical. He wasn’t the only one.

“This will do that?” asked Sa-Ha. She glanced at Chul-San who was sitting next to her and wondered what would happen if... So she grabbed his hand and watched his reaction.

He looked confused. “What… what are you doing?” Then the little ball on his finger turned blue.

“Amazing,” said Do-San and Dal-Mi in unison.

“It really works,” noted Yong-San.

Sa-Ha then turned to Do-San and grabbed his hand too. She needed to check if everyone would have the same reaction or if Chul-San was different. Do-San looked at his ball carefully. Nothing happened. “It’s very accurate,” he added.

Sa-Ha pouted, Chul-San was smiling, holding his hand where she had touched him, and Dal-Mi’s eyes widened. She hit Sa-Ha’s hand so she would stop touching Do-San. His ball then turned blue.

“But why do we have to test this?” she asked Do-San’s cousin.

“Oh, since it’s a prototype, they need ideas to perfect the product. I need you all to test it and give me thorough feedback. It’s good for start-ups to help each other.”

“Hey, are they giving you one percent of their shares?” asked Do-San.

“Yes. That way, I can become Bonnie Brown of Korea.”

“Bonnie Brown? Who’s that?” said Chul-San.

“A in-house masseuse at Google,” answered Yong-San. “Her stock options made her a millionaire.”

“She’s my role model. Discover high-potential start-ups. Help them out using my skill sets and get one percent of the stock. One of them will become huge, like Google. Then, I’ll become a millionaire!” The cousin’s ball also turned blue. “Oh! Just the thought gets me excited!”

“ _Daepyonim_ , what are you thinking about? Yours is blue too,” noticed Sa-Ha.

Dal-Mi looked at her finger, surprised. “Well, I was just thinking it’d be nice to be one of them.”

“One of them? What? You mean, Samsan Tech becoming like Google? Are you kidding me?” The three developers looked up with dreamy eyes. All their emotion transistors turned blue. She couldn’t believe it. They were all way more optimistic than her. Or naïve? “Are you all crazy?”

“Hey, this is helpful when you’re making a decision,” stated Do-San.

“Right?”

“Yes!”

A few days later, it was now Sa-Ha’s time to pitch her idea to the team. They needed to find a good business model. Standing in front of the whiteboard, she was presenting her concept.

“When you press the start button, your selfie shows up. Then your fortune for career, love and health will be displayed based on scientific data.”

“Physiognomy and image recognition,” summed up Dal-Mi as she wrote something down.

“My gosh, Sa-Ha _-nim_ , I’m so excited about this,” said Chul-San with a huge smile. He was waving two fingers at her with two blue emotion transistors on them. She looked at him, unimpressed. He was clearly saying this just to get on her good side. Did he only listen to her pitch?

“Mmm, but Chul-San _-nim_ , you don’t believe in physiognomy,” protested Do-San.

“I do as of today! Just like you now believe the blood type personality theory.”

Embarrassed, Do-San didn’t answer and took a big bite of noodles.

“The pet economy is booming these days,” began Yong-San, who was now in front of the whiteboard, holding a small dog in his arms. “But I’m not talking about predictable pet-commerce. What if dogs could shop online themselves?”

“Dogs will shop online? How?” asked Dal-Mi.

“We teach the image recognition software to read dogs’ facial expressions. It learns to detect when they’re curious about an item so when the dog makes that expression, it sends the item to the shopping cart.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” stated Sa-Ha, as she was thinking out loud. “A solid revenue model and a specific target audience.” The little ball on her finger turned blue. “By the way, Yong-San _-nim_ , you look kind of cute with those glasses.”

Yong-San left out a shy laugh.

“What? Cute!?” babbled Chul-San, clearly jealous. “He looks awful. Like kimchi that has turned sour! And _maesaengi_ ’s revenue model is better. The yearly yield is over 3,000 tons!” he tried to defend his idea.

Do-San laughed at his exaggerated reaction. Chul-San kicked back and sat in his chair. Sa-Ha couldn’t conceal a small smile. This guy is so sensitive, she thought. It was just a small compliment. She couldn’t believe she had that much effect on him.


	3. Developers Sound Sexy When They Say They Can Do Something

**Lee Chul-San’s point of view**

Sitting on the benches in front of Sand Box, Do-San was beaming, thinking about Dal-Mi. “Guys, don’t you think it’s the perfect weather for coding?” he asked his friends standing up. “Gosh, what’s with the sky? Why is it so beautiful? Hold on. Feel the wind. It’s perfect. The weather today is just crazy.”

“It’s you that’s crazy,” mumbled Chul-San, grabbing his arm to make him come down. Do-San turned around, looked in front of him and ran away.

“Is he really crazy? What’s with him?” said Yong-San.

“They’re song lyrics. “Good Day” by IU. He’s so happy that he’s going crazy,” suggested Chul-San, before turning around to see where his friend was going.

“Gosh. If that’s what happens when you become one of them, Chul-San _-ah_ , I choose to not take that path.”

Chul-San slipped a pair of glasses out of his pocket. “But I do,” he declared, putting them on. “You stay here.” And he followed Do-San running away.

“Hey, where are you going? Hey!”

The two of them met Dal-Mi and Sa-Ha at a table, just as they were saying goodbye to a girl with an assistance dog.

“What did you talk about?” asked Do-San right away. They sat and Yong-San joined them.

“She told us what she’d like in our solution,” replied Dal-Mi.

“Ah! Is that so? What might those things be?” asked Chul-San as he stared at Sa-Ha and played with his glasses. She liked Yong-San’s glasses last time, surely, she’ll notice me if I have some too, he was hoping.

“First of all, it needs excellent image and text recognition ability, even when the image and text are moving quickly. Handwriting recognition is a must, and so is money identification. Apparently, the visually impaired are often short-changed,” she explained. “A******s. Can you make it work?”

“ _Anio_ ,” said Yong-San and Chul-San.

“Yes,” affirmed Do-San.

“Hey!”

“Most apps for the visually impaired have these functions. We need to provide differentiated features,” he added.

“Developers sound sexy when they say they can do something,” teased Sa-Ha.

“We can do it!” said Yong-San opening his notebook in a hurry.

“You said you wouldn’t take that path,” argued Chul-San, trying to stop him.

“But it’s the path to differentiation. What features could we add?”

Dal-Mi looked away. The blind girl who was with them earlier was talking to three people who were petting her dog. “Do you think we could make dogs talk?” she asked.

They all looked at the dog. “We can’t because we’re developers, not gods,” stated Chul-San, a bit sad to admit defeat so fast after what Sa-Ha had said.

“You’re right. I know it’s impossible, but if I were blind, I’d need that more than anything. How many people are in front of me? What do their expressions look like? Where’s the crosswalk? I’d wish my dog could answer those questions.”

“But you can’t make a dog talk.”

“Not even Tony Stark could do that,” added Yong-San.

“ _Anio_. We can do it,” declared Do-San.

“Are you saying you can surpass Tony Stark?”

“Dal-Mi _-ah_ ,” he continued.

“Yes?”

“You’re a genius. How did you think of such a great idea?”

“Me? I don’t think I am.”

“You are. You really are a genius.”

“What’s so great about my idea? Why am I suddenly a genius?”

Do-San started picking up her things. “ _Kajja_. I’ll explain to you.”

“What?”

He stood up and took her hand to bring her with him. “Come on.”

“Me?”

“Am I the only one who doesn’t understand what’s going on?” asked Sa-Ha to the two other guys.

“What is he talking about? Why is she a genius?” wondered Yong-San.

“Because she’s exceptionally pretty?” asked Chul-San. “But, that’s you, Sa-Ha _-nim_.” He laughed and played with his glasses again. But Sa-Ha didn’t mention anything.

The same blind girl was back in their office a few days later. She took the phone and spoke:

“Yeong-Sil _-ah_ , turn on NoonGil.”

“Okay,” replied the automated voice.

Chul-San handed her money. “Try showing this to the camera.”

“Yeong-Sil _-ah_ , what is this?” she asked.

“There are two 10,000-won bills and four 1,000-won bills.”

“Yes! It worked!” The three guys jumped in excitement.

“It’s correct,” said Sa-Ha with wide eyes.

“It’s accurate!”

“It worked!”

“This is incredible,” said the girl. “I’m so thankful. I love it.”

“Try showing other things, too, Yeong-Sil knows everything,” continued Chul-San. The girl pointed the camera to him. “What? Me?” He posed.

“Yeong-Sil _-ah_ , who is the person in front of me?”

“It’s a man in his 20s wearing fake glasses to look stylish,” said the voice.

They all bursted out laughing. “That’s accurate!” said Sa-Ha.

“It tells everything as it is.”

Chul-San took off his glasses and laughed again. “I feel hurt. It didn’t have to be so specific.”

Do-San was almost crying and fell off his chair. Clearly, fake glasses were not the way to a girl’s heart.


	4. Kota Kinabalu? Santorini? Forget it.

**Jung Sa-Ha’s point of view**

The usual workday was interrupted by a big commotion. Everyone in the hall was looking at the man screaming and being dragged outside by security.

“What was that about?” asked someone.

“He works for Haun Engineering and Construction,” explained Yong-San. “He’s about to be laid off because of Injae Company’s unmanned security system.” The man who asked the question wrote something on a notepad. “Who cares about money when you have no compassion?”

“Who cares about compassion?” replied Shin Hyeon. “It won’t make you money.” He sighed and left.

“Why are they so serious?” commented Do-San.

“He’s very rude. Is he a hotshot or something?” asked the man.

“Yes, I’d say he is. He even has an exclusive resort membership.”

“So what? He forgot why he started this in the first place,” objected Chul-San.

“That’s my type,” said Sa-Ha. “I like rich, arrogant guys. I wonder which resort it is.” Really, her type was just the kind of guy who would care about who she was and what she had to say first, and not just what she looked like. But she wasn’t going to tell them that. Plus, she enjoyed testing her effect on Chul-San.

Of course, without missing a beat, he argued: “A resort membership? Who doesn’t have one? I own a vacation home.”

“Oh, that place!” recalled Yong-San.

“With a private beach,” added Do-San.

“Really? I’m surprised!” said Sa-Ha. She had to admit she didn’t expect that.

Chul-San, chuckled. “I told you that my family has a _maesaengi_ farm. We built a nice hut to scare off the ducks, but the beach view from the hut is…” He mimed a frame with his fingers. “Kota… Kota Kinabalu? Santorini? Forget it. They are no match for it! You can see the most beautiful sunset in the whole wide world. Oh, right!” He clapped his hands. “Now’s the perfect time to go there. It’d be nice to go for a drive together… Hey, where are you going?” Sa-Ha was already walking away. Once again, he was trying way too hard. “I’m not making it up! Guys, you tell her.”

The three guys started running behind her, trying to convince her. “Wait.”

“You can even dig clams on the mudflat.”

“The view is spectacular, for real!”

“From temperature to humidity, everything’s perfect.”

Later that week, Sa-Ha exited Sand Box’s building and was surprised by an unexpected rainfall. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one because she found Chul-San standing there looking at the rain.

“It’s raining?” she noted. “The weather forecast didn’t say it’d rain today.”

“Right?” he said removing his shirt. “Who knew it’d start raining all of a sudden. Gosh.” He then swung his shirt over their heads and looked at her with piercing eyes. “Shall we run over there together? I can’t let you get soaked in the rain.” He grinned.

There he was again, dear Chul-San, still trying to get her attention. You had to give him that, the guy was persistent. She had always acted cold and distant with him. Anyone would have given up by then, she thought, but he had not. She wondered why. She didn’t think she deserved that much effort.

Sliding her hand in her purse, she took out her pink umbrella and opened it, making it clear she didn’t need his shirt’s protection. Chul-San’s smile turned into a weird grimace. She took two steps forward but stopped in her track, feeling guilty. So she turned around and asked: “Are you coming?”

Hearing her invitation, he almost dropped his shirt and his eyes lit up. He ran up to her and she moved the umbrella to cover both of them.

“Ah, thanks,” he said shyly as his cheeks turned pink.


	5. You Made a Fool of Me

**Jung Sa-Ha’s point of view**

Sa-Ha entered Samsan Tech’s office as Yong-San and Chul-San were talking quietly.

“Yes. A bug occurred in the end,” said Yong-San.

“A bug? Did Seo _daepyo_ find out everything?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t I tell you that we should remove the bug first? What if our company has to close down?”

At those words, Sa-Ha worried. She liked working for Samsan Tech. She really wasn’t sure at first, but after a while she had understood the work they were doing mattered. For once, she felt useful and appreciated there.

“Close down? Why?” she asked straight away.

Hearing her, the boys tensed. “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , I didn’t say anything,” stuttered Yong-San.

Trying to pretend they were talking about something innocent, Chul-San grabbed the first thing he could find, a rubik’s cube. “Should I rotate it?” he asked his friend.

“The other way.”

But Sa-Ha wasn’t going to fall for that. “What did Seo _daepyo_ find out?” she insisted.

“I didn’t say anything. Hey, Chul-San, did you say something?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Impatient, she grabbed their chairs and pulled them back. “Tell me. Right now!”

“It’s all over now,” she sighed after hearing their explanation. “Start-ups should forbid romance within the company.”

The two developers exchanged a look. “Forbid? It’s not a crime to have feelings for someone,” argued Yong-San.

“He’s right,” agreed Chul-San. “It’s not strange for a guy and a girl to develop feelings for each other…”

“That should not happen. We’re five people. Imagine two of us date and then break up. How awkward would that be? “Ex-girlfriend, here’s the portfolio. Ex-boyfriend, are you done with the coding?” Kill me now.”

“Maybe they won’t break up.”

“Right. You never know.”

Gosh, they could be so naïve and immature sometimes, Sa-Ha thought. She had to make them understand. “Just think about it,” she began. “It turned out that the letters were from another guy. And Han Ji-Pyeong, of all people. He’s rich, well-educated, and good-looking. Who wouldn’t be swayed? Han Ji-Pyeong versus Nam Do-San? Han Ji-Pyeong wins, for sure. The end of story. There’s no question about it.”

“I mean, I don’t think Do-San is that lacking compared to Mr. Han,” protested Yong-San.

“He’s not just lacking. He’s _very_ lacking.”

“Do-San has something that Mr. Han doesn’t…” tried Chul-San.

“No. Nothing at all.”

They finally gave up, hitting their heads on the table. “Gosh!” “This is annoying.”

“Wealth, education, connections… in every aspect,” she continued.

Chul-San straightened up. “Does that really matter? What’s important when you like someone?”

“Your feelings are!” completed Yong-San.

“They sure are important,” she agreed. “But now her feelings are split between her first love and the person she likes now,” she said demonstrating with her fingers. “If she likes the two equally, how do you know which one is true love?”

“This is annoying!” The boys looked desperate and hit their heads on the table again.

The next day at the cafeteria, they were still clinging to their hope that everything would be all right between Dal-Mi and Do-San.

“Do-San’s not coming?” asked Chul-San.

“He doesn’t have much of an appetite,” answered Yong-San.

“I really didn’t want to say this. But isn’t it strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“To be blunt, what did Do-San do so wrong? He’s been lying for Seo _daepyo_ ’s sake. And it made her happy.”

“I don’t understand it, either. How could she not understand how Do-San feels?”

“Exactly. She’s so clueless. If I were Do-San, I’d feel really hurt.”

Of course, they were boys, and they were trying to defend their best friend, but Sa-Ha thought that was unfair to Dal-Mi and she decided to teach them a lesson. “Right. It hurts so much when someone doesn’t understand how you feel,” she began with a sad voice. “I know exactly how that feels.”

“You do?” gasped Chul-San. “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , by any chance, do you have a crush on someone?”

She kept going, looking straight at him. “See? You still don’t get it.”

The boys needed a moment to understand. Stuttering, Chul-San asked: “Wait? Me!?”

“Chul-San?!” echoed Yong-San.

Sa-Ha tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded. Chul-San stood up, euphoric. “Wah! Oh, oh, I’m sorry!” he said once he realized everyone in the cafeteria was looking at him.

“What!” Yong-San couldn’t believe it either.

“Is this a dream? Is this really happening? Wah! How can I be so slow?” Chul-San exclaimed, sitting down. “Oh, Sa-Ha _-nim_ , I’m sorry. Did I make you sad? Ah! Hey, I got goosebumps.” He showed his arm to Yong-San and continued. “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , then… is this our first day together? Is it?”

Sa-Ha took a sip of juice and figured it would be enough for them to finally get it. “ _Anio_ ,” she replied simply.

“No?” He paled.

“I was lying.”

“Right? I knew it,” exclaimed Yong-San, laughing nervously.

“Sa-Ha _-nim_ , you made a fool of me,” Chul-San sobbed.

“What are you talking about? I was lying for your own good. Didn’t it make you happy? This is exactly what Do-San _-nim_ did.”

The boys exchanged a sad look. “Gosh! I get it now!” gasped Yong-San. “What Do-San did is definitely wrong.”

“You’re right. I get it, too."

Yong-San clapped and laughed. “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , you’re brilliant.”

“Is this fun?” protested Chul-San. “Just eat your freaking bread.”

Sa-Ha glanced at him before taking another sip. She felt a little bad for him, seeing how happy he looked when he thought she had a crush on him. She enjoyed teasing him from time to time, but maybe she had gone a little far. Then again, it was his fault. He shouldn’t be so gullible, she thought. He just likes her because he thinks she’s beautiful and elegant. He’d get over it soon. It’s not like he was actually in love with her, right?


	6. I Want You to Stop Confusing Me

**Jung Sa-Ha’s point of view**

The situation between Do-San and Dal-Mi was still tense as they were getting ready for Demo Day. Outside the building, Do-San and Dal-Mi met Chul-San and Sa-Ha who were waiting for them nervously.

“Where were you? It’s starting soon,” asked Sa-Ha.

“Hold on, Do-San _-nim-a_ , this isn’t what you were going to wear today, is it?” said Chul-San looking at his friend. “Weren’t you going to wear a suit for our _daepyonim_?”

“A suit? For me? What are you talking about?” asked Dal-Mi.

“Well…”

Do-San was clearly uncomfortable. Sa-Ha decided to give the couple some space. “Chul-San _-nim_ , can we talk?”

Chul-San smiled. “What? Why?”

He didn’t get it. “Just follow me,” she said taking his hand.

They walked all the way to the parking entrance and stopped.

“Why are you so slow?” she asked him. “They obviously need some time alone.”

“Ah…” He glanced at their hands and seemed disappointed.

“Look at your face,” she said surprised. He was really flushed. “Is it because I’m holding your hand? Why are you so easy?” She placed her other hand on his pink cheek. “Are you even burning up?”

After a second, he took her hand and removed it from his face. “Jung Sa-Ha _-nim_ ,” he spoke as his eyes got wet. “When you lied to me the other day, it felt like… I first rose to the top of a skyscraper and then fell to the ground. Sa-Ha _-nim_ , I know it didn’t mean much to you, but every little thing you do can make me happy and sad, because I’m old-fashioned. I mean it.” He gently removed his hand from hers. “So I want you to stop… confusing me. Please.”

She felt her heart clench. “Okay, I will.”

“All right,” he nodded and cleared his throat. “Let’s… Let’s go back in.”

“Okay,” she said, even though she couldn’t move suddenly. She just watched him leave with his head down and tightened her hand.

She knew he liked her, obviously, but she hadn’t guessed just how much. Hearing him confess everything so openly made her feel like an idiot. She thought he was just like the other guys who said nice things to her because she was pretty and then lost their interest after just a few dates. She had known many guys like that, so she had learned to protect herself, to keep a safe distance between her and them. But she had been wrong about him. After three months, he seemed to care more and more about every little thing she said or did. Clearly, she had misjudged him. And now she realized she had hurt him too. She hoped he would be able to forgive her.


	7. Don't Get the Wrong Idea

**Lee Chul-San’s point of view**

Demo Day went well. Better than expected actually, because they won! And 2STO made an amazing offer: three years working with them in Silicon Valley! The whole team was euphoric.

But then, Do-San pointed out that it meant Samsan Tech would officially disappear. Chul-San got nostalgic. When he left Sand Box that evening, he decided to go to their old office, the one above the BBQ restaurant, to go back where it had all started.

As he was walking towards the bus stop, he saw Sa-Ha pull over next to him in her car. He was surprised. She lowered the window of the passenger’s side.

“Chul-San _-nim_ , do you want a ride home?” she offered.

He considered her carefully and remembered the conversation they had on Demo Day. She seemed to mean it when she had said she would stop confusing him, so she was probably just being nice. He decided not to read too much into it.

“Ah, Sa-Ha _-nim_ , thank you, but I’m not going home.”

She frowned and hesitated. “Where are you going then? I can still drive you.”

“Nah, you’ll think it’s stupid.”

“Come on, I won’t judge, I promise,” she insisted.

He looked at his feet and gave in. “I wanted to go see our old office. Where we started Samsan Tech.”

Sa-Ha’s mouth curved into a smile. She leaned over and opened the passenger door. “I think I’d like to see it too, if you want to show me.”

Chul-San’s eyes widened, and his heart accelerated. It was the first time she showed him that kind of interest. He knew it didn’t mean anything, again she was just being nice, but he couldn’t waste that opportunity to be alone with her, so he got in the car.

As they were stopped at a red light, Sa-Ha turned and faced him for a moment. Her eyes seemed to be looking for something inside his, but he didn’t know what. She got her attention back on the road, pursed her lips, and spoke. “Chul-San _-nim_ … I wanted… I wanted to apologize.” His eyebrows rose. Is that why she had offered him a lift? “I’ve been thinking about what you said and… I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you felt… all this. I thought you were just trying to be funny. Anyway, I know I treated you badly and I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“Ah…” He cleared his throat and felt as if the heat had been turned up ten degrees. “It’s okay…”

“Can you forgive me? We’re gonna be working together in San Francisco soon. We could still be friends?”

“Friends?” Of course, he knew by now she didn’t see him as boyfriend material. But he had never been more than a colleague to her. And now she wanted to be his friend? If this was the best he could get, he would gladly take it. “Yeah, sure, friends would be great,” he chuckled. 

She smiled. “Good.”

When they arrived, he showed her upstairs and told her everything about the place and their time there. How Do-San Tech became Samsan Tech, how it was terribly hot to work there in the summer, how they would always eat noodles but crave the BBQ they would smell from downstairs… Sa-Ha even asked him questions and seemed genuinely interested. It felt good.

Then they heard someone climb the stairs outside. And a voice: “No one wants to move in here. There’s no AC, so it gets very hot.” They looked at each other in shock. That was Do-San’s voice, without a doubt. He was coming here.

“Really?” said a second voice. Of course, Dal-Mi was with him! What would they think if they found both of them here at this hour? Sa-Ha had just agreed to be his friend, he didn’t want anything awkward to make her change her mind.

Clearly, Sa-Ha was thinking the same, because she gestured at the door and pushed him towards it. Chul-San grabbed the handle right before Do-San did the same on the other side. When Do-San tried to open it, he pulled with all his strength to prevent it.

Do-San was confused. He tried again and again and finally succeeded. As the door opened, Chul-San and Sa-Ha fell face first outside, much to Do-San and Dal-Mi’s surprise.

“Chul-Sam _-nim_! Oh! Sa-Ha _-nim_!”

Do-San pulled him up by the collar. “What are you two doing here?”

“I wonder too,” said Dal-Mi. Not knowing what to do, he shrugged and laughed.

The four of them got inside and Do-San and Dal-Mi still wanted answers. They sat in front of them and waited for them to explain.

“Whatever you’re imagining now did not happen,” assured Sa-Ha. “Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“What are we imagining?” asked Dal-Mi, faking innocence. Chul-San stared at his feet.

“Stuff that you’d assume a man and a woman would do. I can see it in your eyes. So dirty.”

“Dirty!?”

“Gosh, let me explain!” intervened Chul-San before things went too far. “I got all sentimental after we talked about how Samsan Tech would be gone. So naturally, I wanted to come to this rooftop office after a long time. I was spacing out and didn’t realize my backpack was open. And Sa-Ha _-nim_ happened to see it. “Chul-San _-nim_ , your backpack is open!” But I couldn’t hear her, so I just got on the bus. “My gosh, does he want to be pickpocketed?” She got all worried and followed me. And here we are.” He hoped that story would be enough because he really didn’t want to talk about Sa-Ha’s apology. That part of the story was just for him. “We didn’t do anything “dirty”. We’re very clean,” he concluded.

“Are we good now?” asked Sa-Ha.

Both Dal-Mi and Do-San nodded, but she turned to him and said: “Do you believe them?”

Do-San shook his head. “Nope.”

“Jeez, you annoying pair of cockroaches.”

Thankfully, Yong-San showed up and interrupted their questioning.

The rest of the evening flew by. One minute they were drinking beer, talking about what they would do with their money after their three-year contract with 2STO, and the next they were building a future project for their team; a self-driving car. Surrounded by these bright people, Chul-San felt like everything was suddenly possible.


	8. Sleep Deprivation Will Only Last a Few Months

**Lee Chul-San’s point of view**

Sadly, a few days later, it all went wrong. 2STO only wanted the three developers. They had no need for Dal-Mi and Sa-Ha. And they didn’t have enough money to break the contract. The team was devastated. They were all in this project together, but now they were going to be separated and they didn’t know how to keep that from happening.

Chul-San felt powerless. “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , could there be a way for us to cancel the contract without paying a penalty?” he asked. Surely, as a former lawyer, she’d have a solution.

“We could file a suit, but it’s a long shot.”

Everyone left in the office was trying to hold back tears. “I’m… I’m sorry. We should have listened to Mr. Han. I’m really sorry.”

After having considered their problem from all angles all day, Chul-San was drained. He was sitting alone in the cafeteria, staring at his iced vanilla latte without being able to appreciate it. Lost in his thoughts, he was brought back to reality when Sa-Ha walked to him.

“Why are you still here?” she asked.

“I just have a lot on my mind.” She sat in front of him. “The café is closed,” he said confused. “Do you want this? I haven’t touched it.”

“An iced vanilla latte, right? Let’s share it.” She took a sip.

“What? Oh, okay.”

“Chul-San _-nim_ , do you want to cancel the contract too even if you have to file a suit?”

“Yes.”

“Why? It’s a great opportunity for you. Silicon Valley has been your dream.”

“But I don’t want to go there unless we all go together.” That had always been clear for him, from the beginning. She needed to know that. “What about you, Sa-Ha _-nim_? Are you willing to file a suit?”

“ _Anio_. I used to be a lawyer. Lawsuits are exhausting. The fight is long and hard, and nothing is guaranteed. I hated it, so I left it all behind and came here. I’m not going back.”

Chul-San was conflicted. He was thankful she had decided to leave law because he would not have met her otherwise, but he felt sorry that she had worked so hard for nothing. “Aren’t you upset? I’m furious.”

“So am I. It’ll keep me up at night for a while. But sleep deprivation will only last a few months. A lawsuit may take years.”

The next day, Chul-San found his way to Studio Jakdu, Do-San’s cousin’s company.

The director was very focused on his computer screen, so Chul-San leaned in: “Hi.”

“Oh, hey. Congratulations!” They shook hands. “This is the first time I’ve made money from my shares.”

“Thanks, but I’m not really in the mood to celebrate.”

“You really are a great man. Look how chill you are after hitting a three-billion-won jackpot!”

“I thought we did, but after paying all debts, taxes, and salaries for three years, there’s barely anything left.”

“Then again, you’ve been running on debt all this time, right? Anyway, what can I help you with? Just say the word.”

“Well…” He scratched his neck. “Can I borrow that?”

“That?”

“Yes.”

If they would be apart for three years, he thought, he’d at least give Sa-Ha a little something to remember him by…

When the time came to leave, the atmosphere was heavy as they were packing up their things in their office. It didn’t help when the twin developers came in and started browsing around.

“We could give this to the developers.”

“Okay.”

“What are you doing?” Yong-San asked them.

“You haven’t heard? We’re hiring more people.”

“Are you taking over this office?”

“Yes.”

“At least wait until we move out,” said Chul-San, insulted. “We’re still here. Go. Get out. Leave us alone.” He pushed them outside. When he turned around, Sa-Ha was getting ready to leave too. She took her suitcase and walked towards the exit before turning around to face the guys.

“I guess this is it, then,” she said.

“Jung Sa-Ha _-nim_ , can we keep in touch?” He wasn’t ready to see her go.

**-Jung Sa-Ha’s point of view-**

She hated that probably just as much as him, but what was the point? He would go to San Francisco; she would stay in Seoul. He would meet new people there and eventually forget about her. As he should. That would be easier for both of them. “I’m not sure,” she replied. “I don’t see why we should.”

He nodded with empty eyes. “Right.”

“Good luck,” she said for the three of them, before she turned to him again. “Take care.”

He bowed and tears filled his eyes. “You too,” he whispered.

Then she left before he could see that she was also fighting back tears.

Sa-Ha was driving home a few evenings later when her phone buzzed. She stopped at the red light and looked at it.

It was a text message from Chul-San: “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , do you still have trouble falling asleep? I’m sending you a video that I made. I hope it helps. Watch it when you can’t sleep.”

She clicked on the link right away. Chul-San appeared in a light blue hoodie in front of a very pink background.

“ _Annyonghaseyo Sa-Ha-nim_ ,” he greeted. “Reciting these numbers usually helps me fall asleep. I hope it works for you, too.” He cleared this throat and started whispering in his microphone: “The number pi is 3.141592653589…”

She couldn’t hold back her smile. “What is this?” she chuckled.

He hadn’t given up on her, even until the last minute, she thought. There he was, reciting the decimals of pi, like a true nerd attempting to make an ASMR video for the first time. But Jung Sa-Ha didn’t usually like nerds, so why was she suddenly feeling this warmth in her chest?

Sure enough, when she went to bed that night, she played the video again and fell asleep smiling.


	9. All Sorts of Odd Things Can Happen in Life, You Know

**Lee Chul-San’s point of view**

After three years of hard work in Silicon Valley, 2STO had offered a month of vacation to the three developers to reward them. They had enjoyed a good time on a private yacht for a while, and now they were back in Seoul for a few days. Remembering their time in their old office, Yong-San and Chul-San had decided to go and try that BBQ restaurant now that they could afford it.

“Thanks, Chul-San. That was a good meal,” said Yong-San, stroking his stomach as they exited the place.

“I have to say, this restaurant is very expensive,” he replied while examining the bill.

“Hey, we’re now successful enough to dine at such an expensive restaurant.”

“I know, right?” The boys froze. Chul-San could not believe his eyes. Jung Sa-Ha was standing on the sidewalk in front of them, looking equally surprised to see them. “What? Sa-Ha _-nim_?”

“Chul-San _-nim_? Yong-San _-nim_? What are you guys doing here? I thought you were in the US.”

“We’re here on vacation,” he said.

“What are you doing here?” asked Yong-San.

“I had drinks with my friends in the area.”

“My gosh. What a crazy coincidence,” marveled Chul-San, scratching the back of his neck.

“I know. What’s the likelihood of something like this happening?” added Yong-San.

“Very slim! Seoul is a huge city. We arrived in Korea and came here for a barbecue. And just as we were leaving…” He looked at his watch. “It’s 9:11 p.m. now. The chances of you passing by here right at 9:11 p.m….”

“Winning the lottery would be easier than this.”

“All sorts of odd things can happen in life, you know,” stated Sa-Ha.

“Anyway, are you waiting for someone?”

“I drank, so I’m waiting for my relief driver.”

“Oh, Chul-San, why don’t you drive her home? You didn’t drink at all,” suggested Yong-San.

“But she already called a driver.”

“No, not yet,” she corrected.

“Really?!” He couldn’t contain his joy. Even after three years away, he felt his heart speed up just at the thought of spending some time alone with her. They hadn’t stayed in contact while he was working in San Francisco, but that didn’t mean he had forgotten her. “No, I mean… Oh… Then shall I drive you home?” he asked.

“Well, sure.”

Once they were alone in the car, Chul-San cleared his throat, looking for the right words to break the ice. “Well… Did you manage to treat your insomnia?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

So his video had been useful. “I’m… I’m glad to hear that.”

“You were very worried about your English. How is it now? Better?”

“My English? Well, you know, I’d say it’s so-so… Well… no, it’s bad. I don’t say a thing in my office at 2STO. It’s like I’m in silent meditation every day,” he laughed. That wasn’t entirely true, but he thought that, compared to her English, he still had work to do. “I’d love intensive tutoring sessions,” he admitted.

“When do you go back?”

“Me? In about ten days? I think I have ten days left.”

“Then… how about I tutor you until you leave?”

“Seriously?!” He looked at her with wide eyes.

“Look ahead, will you?”

“Right, of course. I should look ahead while driving,” he agreed with a huge smile. “Gosh, I’d love that. I mean, I’d be so grateful.”

“When’s good for you?”

“Anytime! Whenever works for you.” Right now, he wanted to say!

“Really? Then…” Sa-Ha was interrupted by her phone. They both looked down and saw the caller ID.

“Punk?”

“It’s Seo _daepyo_.”

“Ah! Answer it.”

“Is today a special day or something?” She picked up. “Hello? … … What do they want? … Did you call the police?”

When he heard the word “police”, Chul-San got worried and started paying more attention to her conversation.

“I’ll ask around and call you back.” She ended the call.

“What’s wrong?” he asked right away.

When she explained that Seo Dal-Mi’s company had been attacked by a ransomware, Chul-San knew exactly what to do and called Do-San right away.

“Hey, what’s up?” he answered.

“Hey, Do-San _-ah_ , I’m with Sa-Ha _-nim_ now.”

“What? You met her?”

“Yes. Anyway, Seo _daepyo_ just called her. They’re dealing with a bad ransomware attack just before their test. It sounds very stressful. How much was it again?”

“Three hundred million won,” confirmed Sa-Ha.

“The decryption key will be destroyed if they don’t send the money.”

“Where’s Dal-Mi _-ah_ now?”

“At her office, I guess. I’m headed there now, but I can’t do this by myself. Can you come now?”

Being back at Sand Box felt weird. Even if there were other employees, all their old team was there, working together to solve this problem. It felt strangely familiar, like something he didn’t know he had missed.

When Do-San finally cracked the code, everyone sighed in relief, and Dal-Mi almost passed out. Like the perfect gentleman, Do-San picked her up and laid her down on a couch. Yong-San offered to go get some water and, as usual, Chul-San was too slow to get that was just an excuse to leave the two alone.

“Water? It’s right there. Hey!”

Sa-Ha grabbed his arm and pushed him towards the exit. He didn’t care she looked at him like he was an idiot. She had touched his arm, that was more than he could have hoped for that night.


	10. Maybe We Should Reconsider Starting a Business

**Jung Sa-Ha’s point of view**

“Okay. Please review the contract and send it to me. Thank you.” Sa-Ha hung up her phone as she was heading outside her office building, when she heard a familiar voice.

“What?”

She turned around and saw him. “What?”

“Wah! Jung Sa-Ha _-nim_ , do you work here?” asked Chul-San, looking a little bit too surprised.

“Yes. What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to get legal advice on incorporation. What a coincidence!” He laughed.

“Incorporation?” She was confused. Wasn’t he here on vacation? “Are you starting a new business?”

“That’s right.”

Chul-San invited her to get coffee and explained how he and the guys had finally decided to turn down 2STO’s offer and to start a new business in Korea.

It piqued her curiosity. “Have you decided on the name?” she asked. “You can’t use the name Samsan Tech anymore.”

“Oh, you’re right.” Chul-San opened a note app on his phone. “Instead of Samsan Tech, we’re considering Sansam Tech. Clever, right?”

“Are you serious? That’s even worse than Samsan Tech.”

He laughed. It took her by surprise. The Chul-San she used to know would have been saddened by her direct comment. This new Chul-San seemed a lot more confident. He was also much more elegant, not that she cared about that…

“Not good? All right. Off the list, then. That wasn’t our first choice, anyway. Our first choice is TMT. In this global age, we need an English name. TMT.”

“ _TMT? What does that stand for?_ ” she asked in English.

“ _Three Mountain Tech. It translates to Samsan Tech in English._ ”

“ _Everyone’s gonna think it stands for Too Much Talker._ ”

He sat back in his chair. “You’re right. That’s not good. What do we do, then?”

“Your English is good,” she noted. Another surprise for her. “I don’t need to tutor you, do I?” He opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. “Why did you tell me it was bad?”

“Well, that’s…” He cleared his throat. She decided it was time to confront him.

“Tell me. Did you really come here by chance?”

He looked at the window and pursed his lips. “What about you, Sa-Ha _-nim_? At the restaurant the other day… Did you really run into us?”

Oups. “I asked you first.”

“I didn’t come by chance.”

“I didn’t, either. I went after watching your vlog,” she admitted without getting into more details. She wasn’t going to tell him that she had watched every single video he had posted since he had started his vlog. He didn’t need to know that.

He pumped his fists in victory, crossed his arms and smiled like an idiot. “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , by any chance…”

“Stop! Don’t read too much into it. I was just curious to know how my ex-colleagues were doing.” That was the truth.

“I see. _Sorry_. Sa-Ha _-nim_ , would you be interested in working with me again, then? You’re not enjoying what you’re doing now, are you?”

She wasn’t expecting that and took time to consider his offer. After a moment, she replied: “I’m not interested in joining you.”

“Why not? We’re different from three years ago. Investors are lining up outside our office. We can compensate you better than any other company.”

That flattered her a little. It was true, they must have gained a lot of experience over at Silicon Valley. But she wasn’t sure if he was saying that because he really valued her skills or just because he wanted to be close to her again. The second option wouldn’t work. “I already have enough money,” she declared. “I didn’t join Samsan Tech three years ago for better compensation.”

“Then why did you?”

“Someone begged me so desperately.”

“Who? Do you mean Seo _daepyo_?”

“She was so desperate that she kneeled down just to recruit me. If she was ready to go that far, at least it wouldn’t be boring to work with her.”

“That’s right. It sure was eventful,” he chuckled.

“Is anyone at your company as desperate as Seo _daepyo_?”

That made him think. “Maybe we should reconsider starting a business.”

And again Sa-Ha was thrown off by his answer. She had expected him to say yes, maybe even to start begging her right away. Instead, he had basically said they needed to rethink their business idea. That meant they were serious about it, so he was probably also serious about the offer he had made her. It suddenly seemed more interesting…


	11. See Ya!

**Jung Sa-Ha’s point of view**

It turned out that TMT didn’t happen. Instead, the guys accepted Dal-Mi’s offer to join Cheong Myeong Company and work on their self-driving car. Soon enough, Sa-Ha resigned her job at the law firm and joined them too. The five of them, once again working together, were invincible.

After lots of hard work, they were finally rewarded when their car passed the certification with flying colors. As Sa-Ha was waiting for the elevator back at their office, she watched Chul-San’s latest video from the day of the test. They were taking pictures, celebrating, when the two younger developers had surprised them popping the champagne and splashing them with it. In the video, you could clearly see how Chul-San had been a gallant man and had tried to shield her from the liquid. Watching it now, she remembered how good it had felt to have his arms wrapped around her shoulders.

“Everyone! We finally got the temporary operation permit,” said Chul-San in the video. Congratulate us by subscribing to my channel and liking this video. _See ya!_ ”

“ _See ya!_ ” she found herself reply out loud. “Huh, I must be going crazy!”

Later that day, Chul-San went to her desk to ask her something about the weather conditions. She tried to focus on what he was saying, but her breath caught in her throat when he leaned in closer to point at something on her screen. She ended up watching him without really hearing a word he said. He had a focused gaze, and his eyes were glimmering with passion. He smelled good, too. Had she never noticed that before?

When he stopped talking and looked straight at her, she finally came out of her reverie.

“Sa-Ha _-nim_? Are you listening?” he asked.

“Yes, of course.”

Well, she had been wondering for a while, but she had her answer now. No more denying it, she liked Lee Chul-San.

**-Lee Chul-San’s point of view-**

Chul-San was making photocopies when Sa-Ha walked in the small room and closed the door behind her.

“Sa-Ha _-nim_ , do you need to photocopy something?” he asked. Weirdly, she wasn’t carrying anything.

“ _Anio_.”

“Then what’s up?”

She sat on the edge of the desk in front of him. “I have a favor to ask you.”

“Ah, a favor? Sure, what is it? Anything for you.” How could he possibly say no to her? He mirrored her and leaned on the copy machine, but she stood up and walked towards him.

“I hate when people are obviously dating a co-worker, so… don’t show it.”

“Gosh, I wouldn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” he laughed. Then something clicked. He stood up and breathed in loudly. “What? What do you mean?”

“I don’t want anyone to know… that we’re dating.”

Had he heard correctly?! He swallowed hard. “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , is this another prank? Then I’d really be…”

She didn’t let him finish his sentence. Grabbing the collar of his jacket, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Not a prank this time. He almost thought he was dreaming, except it felt way too real. His heart was pounding, his breath was cut but he managed to close his eyes and kiss her back softly. When she pulled away, he finally remembered to breathe.

“You can do that for me, right?” she asked shyly.

“Yes,” he sighed. “I… I won’t show it. Never. You have my word.”

When she smiled at him, he thought his heart was going to burst out of his rib cage.

“Okay. See you… tonight?” she suggested.

“Yes.”

She closed the door behind her, and he collapsed on the floor, a hand on his chest, unable to believe what had just happened.


	12. I Gave You My Word

**Jung Sa-Ha’s point of view**

That night, Sa-Ha felt like a nervous teenager trying to decide what to wear for her first date with Lee Chul-San. She had dated other guys before, and she’d known Chul-San for a long time so why couldn’t she get rid of those stupid butterflies in her stomach?

Probably because, deep down, she knew that Chul-San was special. He had had a crush on her for forever and she had been so careless with his feelings before. Now that she had finally opened her eyes, she wanted to show him that she wasn’t always as snobbish and cold-hearted as she had made it seem. She wanted to make him happy.

Chul-San showed up right on time at her doorstep with a small bouquet of pink roses. Apparently, he had also spent some time to take care of his appearance. They drove to their favorite coffee place and ordered two kinds of cake with, of course, two iced vanilla lattes.

Conversation was a little bit rocky at first. She could hear Chul-San’s agitation in his fast chuckle, but she found it somehow amusing. When they received their order and sat down, Chul-San took a big sip of coffee, placed his glass on the table, looked at her straight in the eyes and said: “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , I’m very happy to be here with you tonight but I’m not sure I understand why we’re here.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you said colleagues shouldn’t date. But this is a date, right? I mean, I don’t have any experience with that… or, or with… kissing.” His cheeks turned pink.

“Yes, this is a date,” she confirmed with a genuine smile.

“So…” He licked his lips. “Is this our first day together?”

She chuckled. “Yes, Chul-San _-nim_ , this is our first day together. Are you happy?”

“Ah… wow, great!” he said trying but failing to contain his smile. “Yes, I’m very happy!”

“Me too. I thought maybe, after all this time, you didn’t like me anymore,” she admitted, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry it took me so long to realize… how great you are.”

“Yeah, what was it, like four years? That’s okay, I’m a patient guy.”

His answer made her giggle. “You really are!”

“Sa-Ha _-nim_ , you’re very beautiful when you laugh like this.”

The rest of the date went well. Once the ice was broken, it was easy to talk to him and he kept making her laugh. But just as she was emptying her glass of iced coffee, Chul-San’s face suddenly went white.

“Everything’s okay?” she asked.

He leaned forward and started whispering. “Hum, Sa-Ha _-nim_ , you said you didn’t want people at work to know…”

“Yeah, I just don’t want it to be uncomfortable at the off…”

“Do-San and Dal-Mi just walked in.”

She froze. Well, she hoped people wouldn’t find out right away, but that was incredibly quick. She turned her head to looked at them, but Chul-San stopped her by putting his hands over hers.

“Wait! Don’t look! They haven’t seen us yet.” He looked around, grabbed her hand and dragged her at the back of the café. There was a small hallway leading to the bathroom. They hid there with their backs on the wall.

“What are you doing!?” she asked.

“What? I gave you my word. No one will know.” Now it was her time to blush. That’s how much he cared about her. So much that he was ready to hide in the bathroom to make sure his _best friend_ wouldn’t find out about them, just because she had asked him. “We can wait until they get their order and leave discreetly, I guess.”

She nodded, “okay,” and glanced at the other side of the wall to try to see where they were.

She came back straight away. Dal-Mi was walking in their direction. “I think Dal-Mi’s coming to the bathroom,” she told him with round eyes. “What do we do?”

“Huh…” Chul-San spotted a small supply closet. “Here!”

They squeezed inside and left the door open just a crack to keep an eye on the outside. Dal-Mi indeed entered the women’s bathroom. They waited in silence in the dark. Sa-Ha then realized there was very little space and they were pressed against each other. Chul-San had instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist and she had her hands on his chest. They had never been so close.

Chul-San probably came to the same realization and they locked eyes. She could smell the vanilla on his breath. Her heart accelerated as she saw his eyes flash to her mouth. Before they could move though, they heard the door outside and got their attention back to the hallway.

Dal-Mi left the bathroom and they sighed in relief. After a moment, Chul-San walked out to check where they had seated, insisting she stayed in the closet until the coast was clear. Luckily, the couple had picked a table at the other side of the counter so they could leave without being seen.

They still went separately, Chul-San first to bring the car around, and Sa-Ha a couple of minutes later, not to attract attention.

“I’m so sorry we had to cut that short,” said Chul-San as she climbed in the car. He looked really disappointed.

“That’s okay. We can make up for it next time.”

His gaze went between her and the road many times as his mouth curved into a big smile. “Next… next time? Ah, yes, next time. You… You want to do that again?”

“Yes!” She smirked. “Actually, I was thinking... maybe you could take me to your private beach?”

Chul-San chuckled. “Ah, I see.” He nodded and licked his lips. “Be honest, Sa-Ha _-nim_ , is this the real reason you asked me out? So you could see my private beach?”

She nudged him. “Pfff! Of course not! But, that’s a perk, right?”


	13. Next Time... You Don't Have to Ask

**Lee Chul-San’s point of view**

Like a true gentleman, Chul-San drove Sa-Ha home and even walked with her to her front door.

“I had a good time tonight,” she said as she turned to face him.

“Me too.”

She clutched her purse. “So, um, good night.”

It was now or never. “Sa-Ha _-nim_ , wait please. Hum… there’s uh… there’s something I’ve been wanting to… to ask you.” He suddenly felt very hot.

“What is it?”

“Can I… kiss you again?”

She smiled and nodded vividly. He swallowed and took a step closer. He wasn’t confident enough to look her in the eyes, so he focused on her pink and inviting lips. Slowly, he raised his hand a brushed her cheek, leaning in. When she closed her eyes, he finally captured her mouth softly with his.

The kiss was brief but sweet. As he pulled away, he realized his heart was beating really fast and looked at his feet, embarrassed. But then she left out a soft giggle that made him look up. When he met her gaze, it felt like the world had stopped for a second. Her cheeks had a light shade of pink - probably just like his, he thought – and she was looking at him with a big smile that made her eyes sparkle. He couldn’t help but smile at her too.

She licked her lips and spoke quietly. “Next time… you don’t have to ask.”

Chul-San needed a moment to fully understand what she had meant. Then his eyes widened, and he blinked slowly. He wouldn’t need to be told twice.

Without hesitating this time, he placed both hands on her waist, pulled her closer and kissed her again, sliding his hands in her back to hug her tightly. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Chul-San completely lost track of time, captivated by the movements of her lips on his, the taste of her tongue, the smell of her perfume and the feeling of her body fully pressed against him.

When they finally parted, she pressed her forehead against his and smiled. But then she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away. “Are you sure you’ve never done that before?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye, “Because you’re pretty good at it!”

“Ah!” he cleared his throat and scratched his neck. “Hum, thanks,” he chuckled.

She laughed and took her keys from her purse. “See you tomorrow at work?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Good night.”


End file.
